Deal with the Devil

by Peter Lance

  21. Ibid., 3.

  22. U.S. v. Theodore Persico, testimony of Carmine Sessa, transcript, 2239–40.

  23. Parker and O’Brien, FBI 302 memo re: Carmine Sessa, May 31, 1994, 2.

  24. Author’s interview with Flora Edwards.

  25. James, “Killing in Brooklyn Social Club.”

  26. Murray and Phillips, “Wrong Man Killed.”

  27. Ibid.

  28. Ibid.

  29. James, “Killing in Brooklyn Social Club.”

  30. DeVecchio, 209 memo, December 5, 1991.

  31. Brad Hamilton, “My Life as a Colombo Hit Man,” New York Post, March 4, 2012.

  32. U.S. v. Theodore Persico, testimony of Larry Mazza, transcript, 3711.

  33. Hamilton, “My Life as a Colombo Hit Man.”

  34. Gregory Scarpa Sr., sworn affidavit, June 7, 1994; People v. R. Lindley DeVecchio, testimony of Larry Mazza, October 18, 2007, 698.

  35. Lee A. Daniels, “Brooklyn Slaying Tied to Mob Feud,” New York Times, December 8, 1991.

  36. Ibid.

  37. Robert McFadden, “Brooklyn’s Mob War Interrupted with a Quiet Day in Court,” New York Times, December 17, 1991.

  38. Selwyn Raab, “Even to the 5 Families, the Fighting Colombos Have Been Black Sheep,” New York Times, December 10, 1991.

  39. Ibid.

  40. People v. R. Lindley DeVecchio, Sessa testimony, 1426.

  41. Author’s interview with Andrew Orena, January 23, 2012.

  42. U.S. v. Gregory Scarpa Sr., transcript of sentencing before Judge Jack B. Weinstein, December 15, 1993, 6; People v. R. Lindley DeVecchio, Mazza testimony, 698. The three homicide charges to which Greg Scarpa Sr. pled guilty are those of Vincent Fusaro, Nicholas Grancio, and Larry Lampasi. Larry Mazza pled guilty to the murder of Gaetano Amato and implicated Scarpa in that crime as well. Scarpa is also linked to the March 1992 murders of John Minerva and Michael Imbergamo, which “34” attributed to Jo Jo and Chuckie Russo.

  43. Joseph A. Gambardello, “Colombo Family Has Bloody Past,” Newsday, December 17, 1991; Greg B. Smith, “Innocent Victim’s Dad Rages,” New York Daily News, September 4, 1995.

  44. George James, “Killing Is Tied to Mafia War in Brooklyn,” New York Times, December 9, 1991.

  45. Ibid.

  46. Patricia Hurtado, “3 Convicted in Mob-War Shootings,” Newsday, August 22, 1995.

  47. Jerry Capeci, “A Father’s Calm Gives Way at Trial of His Son’s Killer,” New York Daily News, August 2, 1995.

  48. Edward Doherty, “The Twilight of the Gangster,” Liberty, October 24, 1931, http://www.libertymagazine.com/crime_doherty.htm.

  49. R. Lindley DeVecchio and Charles Brandt, We’re Going to Win This Thing: The Shocking Frame-up of a Mafia Crime Buster (New York: Berkley, 2011), 213.

  50. Ibid., 310. In a conversation with his wife that DeVecchio describes, he writes, “There was no need to kill me anymore, just frame me a little better than Favo and Caproni had done.”

  51. Ibid., 213.

  52. Supervisory Special Agent R. Lindley DeVecchio and Special Agents Raymond Andjich and Jeffrey W. Tomlinson, FBI 302 memo, debriefing of Gregory Scarpa Sr., December 10, 1991.

  53. Special Agent Chris Favo and Supervisory Special Agents R. Patrick Welch and Richard L. Lambert, FBI 302 memo, November 16, 1995, 5; Chris Favo, sworn affidavit, July 7, 1995, 2.

  54. DeVecchio, 209 memo, December 11, 1991.

  55. People v. R. Lindley DeVecchio, Mazza testimony, 699.

  56. Selwyn Raab, Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Empires (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2005), 338.

  57. DeVecchio, 209 memo, December 19, 1991.

  58. DeVecchio, 209 memo, December 30, 1991.

  CHAPTER 27: THE HIT ON NICKY BLACK

  1. Selwyn Raab, “Even to the 5 Families, the Fighting Colombos Have Been Black Sheep,” New York Times, December 10, 1991.

  2. Robert McFadden, “Brooklyn’s Mob War Interrupted with a Quiet Day in Court,” New York Times, December 17, 1991.

  3. Jack B. Weinstein, judgment, memorandum, and order, U.S. v. Victor J. Orena and Pasquale Amato, March 10, 1997, 7.

  4. Author’s interview with Detective Joseph Simone, NYPD (ret.), April 30, 2004.

  5. Amanita Duga, “Police Tie 2 Islanders to Organized Crime Family,” Staten Island Advance, December 17, 1991.

  6. R. Lindley DeVecchio, FBI 209 memo for Top Echelon (TE) informant designated “NY3461,” January 7, 1992.

  7. Simone interview, April 30, 2004.

  8. “4 Cops Catch 36-Time Rapist and 3 Communities Breathe a Sigh of Relief,” Kings Courier, October 5, 1981.

  9. Glenn Chapman, “Cops Arrest Leader of Alleged Drug Ring,” Staten Island Advance, January 30, 1985.

  10. Lee A. Daniels, “Brooklyn Slaying May Be 6th in Mob Families’ 2-Month Feud,” New York Times, January 8, 1992.

  11. Simone interview.

  12. Ibid.

  13. Author’s interview with Larry Mazza, January 8, 2013.

  14. Brad Hamilton, “My Life as a Colombo Hit Man,” New York Post, March 4, 2012.

  15. People v. R. Lindley DeVecchio, testimony of Larry Mazza, October 18, 2007, 710–12.

  16. Ibid.

  17. Mazza interview.

  18. Hamilton, “My Life as a Colombo Hit Man.”

  19. Author’s interview with Flora Edwards, April 27, 2004.

  20. U.S. v. Pasquale Amato and Victor Orena, hearing before Hon. Jack B. Weinstein, testimony of Stephen Dresch, January 7, 2004, transcript, 127–28.

  21. People v. R. Lindley DeVecchio, Mazza testimony, 114.

  22. Ibid., 113.

  23. Senior U.S. District Judge Frederic Block, memorandum and order,Maria Grancio v. R. Lindley DeVecchio, Christopher Favo and the United States of America, July 24, 2008.

  24. Ibid., 23.

  25. Ibid., 8, citing DeVecchio affidavit at paragraph 3.

  26. Ibid., citing Favo affidavit at paragraph 17.

  27. Ibid., section 26.

  28. Author’s interview with Flora Edwards, January 13, 2012.

  29. DeVecchio, 209 memo, January 7, 1992.

  30. Special Agent Chris Favo, February 6, 1994, 2. “Over the length of the war I began to withhold information concerning Gregory Scarpa or what could not be leaked to the media because I believe SSA DeVecchio was leaking information to both Scarpa and Jerry Capece [sic].”

  31. Author’s interview with Andrew Orena, January 23, 2012.

  32. U.S. v. William Cutolo et al., October 1994, transcript, 1286.

  33. Author’s interview with Flora Edwards, April 26, 2004.

  34. Larry Mazza affidavit, paragraph 8.

  35. Ibid., paragraph 9.

  36. Ibid., Judge Block, 25.

  37. Ibid., 22.

  38. DeVecchio, 209 memo, January 8, 1992.

  39. U.S. v. William Cutolo et al., October 1994, transcript, 660–61.

  40. Mazza interview.

  41. R. Lindley DeVecchio and Charles Brandt, We’re Going to Win This Thing: The Shocking Frame-up of a Mafia Crime Buster (New York: Berkley, 2011), 218.

  42. U.S. v. William Cutolo et al., 5035.

  43. U.S. v. Joseph Simone, transcript of cross-examination of Special Agent Lynn Smith, 665–69.

  CHAPTER 28: CLOSING AND REOPENING “34”

  1. U.S. v. William Cutolo et al., October 1994, transcript, 4271.

  2. Ibid., 5034–35.

  3. R. Lindley DeVecchio, FBI 209 memo for Top Echelon (TE) informant designated “NY3461,” January 24, 1992.

  4. Author’s interview with FBI Special Agent Dan Vogel (ret.), February 8, 2012.

  5. Victor J. Orena and Pasquale Amato v. U.S. 2255, hearing before Judge Jack B. Weinstein, testimony of Special Agent Chris Favo, May 20, 1996, transcript, 11–12.

  6. DeVecchio, 209 memo, January 24, 1992.

  7. U.S. v. William Cutolo et al., testimony of Sal Miciotta, transcript, 2420.

  8. R. Lindle
y DeVecchio, FBI 209 memo for Top Echelon (TE) informant designated “NY3461,” January 29, 1992.

  9. DeVecchio, 209 memo, January 24, 1992.

  10. U.S. v. Theodore Persico et al., Larry Mazza testimony, transcript, 3728–29.

  11. “Suspect Mob Capo, 51, Shot in Brooklyn,” New York Times, January 27, 1992.

  12. Erika Martinez, “Mob Eyed in Cop Slay—Colombo Big Was Widow’s Ex-Lover,” New York Post, August 26, 2002.

  13. U.S. v. Theodore Persico, Larry Mazza testimony, transcript, 3781–82.

  14. U.S. v. Victor M. Orena et al., testimony of Carmine Sessa, May 1995, transcript, 2301–2.

  15. U.S. v. Victor M. Orena et al., Special Agent Chris Favo testimony, transcript, 5161–84; Special Agent Chris Favo, FBI 302 memo, February 6, 1994, 3.

  16. Ibid.

  17. U.S. v. Victor M. Orena et al., transcript, 5184.

  18. Ibid., 5242.

  19. R. Lindley DeVecchio and Charles Brandt, We’re Going to Win This Thing: The Shocking Frame-up of a Mafia Crime Buster (New York: Berkley, 2011), 221.

  20. U.S. v. Victor M. Orena et al., transcript, 5152.

  21. DeVecchio, 209 memo, February 25, 1992.

  22. Victor J. Orena and Pasquale Amato v. U.S., hearing, March 3, 1997, transcript, 360–72.

  23. Memorandum from special agent in charge, Organized Crime, to special agent in charge II, subject: NY: , February 27, 1992.

  24. Memo from special agent in charge Donald North, Organized Crime, to special agent in charge II (copying Supervisory Special Agent R. Lindley DeVecchio), February 27, 1992.

  25. Matthew Chayes, “People Still Nervous at Scene of Massapequa Killings,” Newsday, June 4, 2008.

  26. DeVecchio, 209 memo, March 31, 1992.

  27. Mitchell Maddux and Jeremy Olshan, “Mobster Admits Nun Slay, Fears He’ll Rot in Hell!,” New York Post, May 13, 2011.

  28. Special Agents Jeffrey W. Tomlinson and Howard Leadbetter II, FBI 302 memo re: Carmine Sessa, June 1, 1993.

  29. Pasquale Amato and Victor Orena v. U.S., hearing before Hon. Jack B. Weinstein, testimony of Gregory Scarpa Jr., January 7, 2004, transcript, 57–58.

  30. Ibid.

  31. In granting the new trial, the U.S. district court found: “Most significantly for purposes of this appeal, the 209s also revealed that, in discussions with the FBI, Scarpa had lied about or misrepresented his own involvement in several murders, which he either attributed to the ‘Persico faction’ without identifying himself as the member of the faction responsible for the murders or falsely attributed to someone else.” The Second Circuit citing the district court’s decision per Judge Charles P. Sifton, U.S. v. Russo, Russo and Monteleone, 257 F.3d 210, paragraph 18, http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F3/257/210/625356/#fn2.

  32. U.S. v. Orena, 145 F.3d 551, 1998, http://174.123.24.242/leagle/xmlResult.aspx?page=6&xmldoc=1998696145F3d551_1629.xml&docbase=CSLWAR2-1986-2006&SizeDisp=7.

  33. John Marzulli, “Colombo Crime Family Hit Man ‘Frankie Blue Eyes’ Sparaco Lied and Killed While FBI Informant,” New York Daily News, September 20, 2011.

  34. Press release, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, “Colombo Organized Crime Family Acting Boss, Underboss, and Ten Other Members and Associates Indicted,” June 4, 2008, http://www.justice.gov/usao/nye/pr/2008/2008jun04.html.

  35. Tom Hays, “Thomas Gioeli, Reputed NYC Mob Boss, Cleared of Killing Officer,” Associated Press, May 9, 2012.

  36. DeVecchio, 209 memo, December 30, 1991.

  37. Pasquale Amato and Victor Orena v. U.S., hearing before Hon. Jack B. Weinstein, January 7, 2004, transcript, 56.

  38. DeVecchio and Brandt, We’re Going to Win This Thing, 223.

  39. Joseph Gambardello and Patricia Hurtado, “FBI Guilty: Jury Finds Feds Fueled a Mob War,”Newsday, July 1, 1995.

  40. Author’s interview with Andrew Orena, February 8, 2012.

  41. Mary B. Tabor, “Man Accused as Colombo Chief Is Held in Slaying of Ex-Member,” New York Times, April 2, 1992.

  42. U.S. v. Victor J. Orena, testimony of Special Agent Joseph Fanning, December 10, 1992, transcript, 2467–564.

  43. FBI teletype RETEL from FBI New York Office to director, FBI, March 3, 1992.

  44. FBI teletype from director, FBI, to FBI New York Office, April 2, 1992.

  45. FBI teletype from FBI New York Office (R. Lindley DeVecchio) to director, FBI, April 2, 1992.

  46. FBI teletype from director, FBI, to FBI New York Office, April 7, 1992.

  47. Author’s interview with Flora Edwards, January 13, 2012.

  48. Victor J. Orena and Pasquale Amato v. U.S. 2255, hearing before Judge Jack B. Weinstein, testimony of Special Agent Donald North, May 21, 1996, transcript, 371, 374.

  49. Ibid., 376.

  50. FBI teletype from director, FBI, to FBI New York Office, April 7, 1992.

  51. Special Agent Chris Favo, sworn statement, July 7, 1995, 3.

  52. FBI teletype from FBI New York Office (R. Lindley DeVecchio) to director, FBI, April 22, 1992.

  53. Victor J. Orena and Pasquale Amato v. U.S. 2255, North testimony, 383.

  54. Douglas Martin, “Donald V. North, 62, Leader in F.B.I.’s Fights Against Mafia, Is Dead,” New York Times, January 29, 2005.

  55. DeVecchio and Brandt, We’re Going to Win This Thing, 226.

  CHAPTER 29: WHO’S GOING TO WIN THIS THING?

  1. Linda Stasi, “Show’s Finale Fires ‘Blanks,’” New York Post, June 11, 2007.

  2. Nicholas Pileggi, “Mobsters at the Wheel,” New York, March 12, 1979.

  3. Special Agents Jeffrey W. Tomlinson and Howard Leadbetter II, FBI 302 memo re: Carmine Sessa, May 29, 1993.

  4. U.S. v. William Cutolo et al., testimony of Carmine Sessa, transcript, 795.

  5. U.S. v. Victor M. Orena et al., testimony of Carmine Sessa, transcript, 2308–9.

  6. Tomlinson and Leadbetter II, 302 memo, May 29, 1993.

  7. Ibid.

  8. Tom Robbins, “Tall Tales of a Mafia Mistress,” Village Voice, October 30, 2007.

  9. U.S. v. Theodore Persico, testimony of Larry Mazza, transcript, 3788–89.

  10. Tomlinson and Leadbetter II, 302 memo, May 29, 1993.

  11. U.S. v. Theodore Persico, Mazza testimony, 3792–93.

  12. Ibid. Pileggi wrote that “on December 13, 1973 Lampasi was shot during the Gallo-Colombo war by a couple of ski-masked hit men who had barged into a Bath Beach, Brooklyn hairstyling salon and opened fire.”

  13. Tomlinson and Leadbetter II, 302 memo, May 29, 1993.

  14. Author’s interview with Larry Mazza, January 8, 2013.

  15. Author’s interview with Andrew Orena, January 13, 2012.

  16. Dennis Hevesi, “7 Found Not Guilty in Plot Tied to a Mob Family Feud,” New York Times, July 1, 1995.

  17. Special Agent Chris Favo, FBI 302 memo, February 6, 1994, 5.

  18. U.S. v. Victor M. Orena et al., testimony of Chris Favo, transcript, 5209–10.

  19. U.S. v. Theodore Persico, testimony of Joseph Ambrosino, transcript, 1115–18.

  20. U.S. v. Victor M. Orena, testimony of R. Lindley DeVecchio, transcript, 93.

  21. U.S. v. Victor J. Orena, testimony of Joseph Ambrosino, transcript, 923–24.

  22. Ibid., 972.

  23. U.S. v. Theodore Persico, Mazza testimony, 3845.

  24. R. Lindley DeVecchio, FBI 209 memo for Top Echelon (TE) informant designated “NY3461,” November 17, 1992.

  25. U.S. v. Victor M. Orena et al., Favo testimony, 5213.

  26. Special Agents Jeffrey W. Tomlinson and Chris Favo, FBI 302 memo re: Joseph Ambrosino, April 25, 1994, 5.

  27. U.S. v. Victor M. Orena et al., Favo testimony, 5181–83.

  28. Ibid., 5152–53, 5181.

  29. Ibid., 5214–15.

  30. Ibid., 5273.

  31. Ibid., 5182.

  32. Letter from Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Corcella to defense counsel, U.S. v. Victor M. Orena et al., May 8, 1995, listing eight possi
ble disclosures of FBI intelligence by Supervisory Special Agent R. Lindley DeVecchio to Gregory Scarpa. See Chapter 37, page 410.

  33. Special Agents Maryann Walker-Goldman and Chris Favo, FBI 302 memo, debriefing of Larry Mazza, February 7, 1994.

  34. Special Agent Raymond Andjich, sworn statement, April 7, 1994, 2.

  35. Ibid., 3.

  36. U.S. v. Victor M. Orena et al., Favo testimony, 5216–17.

  37. Special Agent Howard Leadbetter II, sworn statement, April 6, 1994, 3–4.

  38. U.S. v. Victor M. Orena et al., Favo testimony, 5217.

  39. U.S. v. Victor M. Orena et al., testimony of Howard Leadbetter II, transcript, 1291, 1328.

  40. U.S. v. Victor M. Orena et al., Favo testimony, 5218.

  41. Washington Square Post No. 1212 v. City of New York, 808 F. Supp. 264 (1992), http://www.leagle.com/xmlResult.aspx?xmldoc=19921072808FSupp264_11045.xml&docbase=CSLWAR2-1986-2006.

  42. U.S. v. Victor M. Orena et al., Favo testimony, 5187–89.

  43. Statement of Assistant U.S. Attorney George Stamboulidis and Supervisory Special Agents Kevin P. Donovan and Robert J. O’Brien, FBI 302 memo, September 9, 1994, 3.

  44. U.S. v. Victor M. Orena et al., Favo testimony, 5189, 5219–20.

  45. Author’s interview with Flora Edwards, January 13, 2012.

  46. U.S. v. Victor M. Orena et al., Favo testimony, 5185.

  CHAPTER 30: SCARPA’S WAR

  1. R. Lindley DeVecchio, FBI 209 memo for Top Echelon (TE) informant designated “NY3461,” July 9, 1992.

  2. R. Lindley DeVecchio, FBI 209 memo for Top Echelon (TE) informant designated “NY3461,” July 13, 1992.

  3. Special Agent Chris Favo, FBI 302 memo, November 15, 1995, 3.

  4. Letter from Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Corcella to defense counsel, U.S. v. Victor M. Orena et al., May 8, 1995, listing eight possible disclosures of FBI intelligence by Supervisory Special Agent R. Lindley DeVecchio to Gregory Scarpa. See Chapter 37, page 410; U.S. v. Victor M. Orena et al., transcript, 5171–75.

  5. R. Lindley DeVecchio and Charles Brandt, We’re Going to Win This Thing: The Shocking Frame-up of a Mafia Crime Buster (New York: Berkley, 2011), 239–40.

  6. Author’s interview with Andrew Orena, January 13, 2012.